Further Reading

The deal conjures up images of the two-year contract pricing carriers used to offer on phones, but Project Fi is a pre-pay service with no contracts, so it seems you can cancel at any time. The fine print only says, "You must then activate Fi service on the same account within 30 days of device shipment." We guess that you'd then be on the hook for a month of service, which at the minimum pricing will cost about $30. So even if you have no desire to join Project Fi, around $230 for a 5X while canceling Project Fi is still a deal.

Project Fi is Google's MVNO service that continually switches between Sprint and T-Mobile, while only charging you for the exact amount of the data you use, down to the megabyte. The service also combines all the best features of Google Voice, like visual voicemail, number forwarding, and the ability to send and receive SMS messages from any computer and via the Google Hangouts app. The only real downside is the extremely limited device compatibility—the Network switching feature means Fi only works on the Nexus 5X, 6, and 6P. Project Fi charges a $20 base fee for unlimited texting and calls, plus $10 per GB of data you use. We've got a full breakdown of the pricing here.

Google is killing the Project Fi invite program, but that doesn't seem like a huge deal. Getting an invite to Project Fi before never seemed like a huge challenge—we've only heard of customers waiting a week at most. Now Google seems ready to take things out of the "Beta" phase, and it's removing this one last barrier to entry.

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Ron Amadeo
Ron is the Reviews Editor at Ars Technica, where he specializes in Android OS and Google products. He is always on the hunt for a new gadget and loves to rip things apart to see how they work. Emailron@arstechnica.com//Twitter@RonAmadeo

112 Reader Comments

For me and I'd guess a lot of others it's really not a great deal. T-mobile's $30/5gb is a way better price, and sprint coverage wouldn't add anything for most save those in a scant few markets. I appreciate their transparent and easy pricing though.

Project Fi has been great to me. Pricing-wise it's really good because I rarely use more than 2gb, so replacing my unlimited talk + text 3gb plan from T-mobile for $50/m is usually saving me around $15 a month because my average data usage is more like 1.5gb

I buy 2gb a month from Project Fi. I've never used over 0.3 Gb in a month. So I'm getting a $17 dollar discount. For voice, data, and phone financing I average $53 a month. My wife's plan through verizon that's exactly the same, costs here $90. My cell coverage isnt the best, but it's very tolerable.

I wish apple would do this. If they did I think AT&T and Verizon would be in deep trouble.

I've been much happier on Project Fi than T-mobile's plan but I definitely agree there's a tradeoff. If you need a lot of mobile data T-Mobile is an awesome deal. I win out a lot because I have family in Australia and T-Mobile screws you on rates there so I couldn't call them while out, etc. Project Fi's rates are extremely reasonable internationally.

I bought a Nexus 5X in November with Project Fi though. This is an awesome deal!

For me and I'd guess a lot of others it's really not a great deal. T-mobile's $30/5gb is a way better price, and sprint coverage wouldn't add anything for most save those in a scant few markets. I appreciate their transparent and easy pricing though.

Maybe you are grandfathered in but I don't think TMobile is offering $30 for 5gb to new customers. Right now you can get $40 for 3GB or $50 for 5GB.

For me and I'd guess a lot of others it's really not a great deal. T-mobile's $30/5gb is a way better price, and sprint coverage wouldn't add anything for most save those in a scant few markets. I appreciate their transparent and easy pricing though.

Where you save is in the fact that they refund unused data. I have been paying $27 per month on average.

For me and I'd guess a lot of others it's really not a great deal. T-mobile's $30/5gb is a way better price, and sprint coverage wouldn't add anything for most save those in a scant few markets. I appreciate their transparent and easy pricing though.

Maybe you are grandfathered in but I don't think TMobile is offering $30 for 5gb to new customers. Right now you can get $40 for 3GB or $50 for 5GB.

It's prepaid and only has 100 minutes. They've had the plan for a long time, they just "hide" it.

I almost pulled the trigger in Fi, but I chose Ting instead. I'm almost always on WiFi. My highest bill has been $26, including taxes. T-Mobiles coverage isn't as good as AT&T, but it's decent enough in the cities.

For me and I'd guess a lot of others it's really not a great deal. T-mobile's $30/5gb is a way better price, and sprint coverage wouldn't add anything for most save those in a scant few markets. I appreciate their transparent and easy pricing though.

Maybe you are grandfathered in but I don't think TMobile is offering $30 for 5gb to new customers. Right now you can get $40 for 3GB or $50 for 5GB.

$30 for 5GB was always a sort of underground plan. I had to buy the SIM package at Walmart and then it showed up when activating online. My aunt signed up for the program just 3 months ago so that's relatively recent.

For me and I'd guess a lot of others it's really not a great deal. T-mobile's $30/5gb is a way better price, and sprint coverage wouldn't add anything for most save those in a scant few markets. I appreciate their transparent and easy pricing though.

Maybe you are grandfathered in but I don't think TMobile is offering $30 for 5gb to new customers. Right now you can get $40 for 3GB or $50 for 5GB.

It's a Wal-mart/T-Mobile pre-paid plan. 100mins of voice, unlimited text and 5GB of data at LTE speeds for $30.

Man, I wish Project Fi had good coverage in my area, because I like the concept and the pricing structure (we don't use much data) and my wife and I were probably going to get his-and-hers Nexus 5Xs as our next phones anyway. But in rural areas, its coverage just can't compete with Verizon (or in our region, US Cellular).

For me and I'd guess a lot of others it's really not a great deal. T-mobile's $30/5gb is a way better price, and sprint coverage wouldn't add anything for most save those in a scant few markets. I appreciate their transparent and easy pricing though.

Maybe you are grandfathered in but I don't think TMobile is offering $30 for 5gb to new customers. Right now you can get $40 for 3GB or $50 for 5GB.

It's prepaid and only has 100 minutes. They've had the plan for a long time, they just "hide" it.

So, it uses both T-Mobile and Sprint, seemingly a step up from Republic Wireless and other pure Sprint MVNOs, but when I go looking for service I get:

Quote:

Project Fi isn't available in your area

Presumably this is probably the case for most of Montana, since there are no Sprint towers in Montana, but T-Mobile has at least non-LTE coverage in nearly all of Montana, including here. (and some very limited LTE coverage in certain cities, but not Bozeman)

So what gives, because Republic Wireless works here (they do claim only limited support for cell issues due to it being outside of Sprint coverage), and even has a solution for their data (if it's roaming data it counts as like 15x or something, which is fine for how we use data on cell: almost never, nearly everything is WIFI), and they don't even have the benefit of being able to use T-Mobile service as well. I guess I can assume that the T-Mobile coverage is only for LTE signals, due to the radio wavelengths in comparison to CDMA and related LTE on T-Mobile's LTE vs the other GSM bands?

For me one of the big advantages I hand't expected is how easy it is to travel with a Fi account. I fly down to Antigua and when I turn on my cell phone I get a message that's basically "Welcome to Jamaica, you have normal cell coverage here with no extra charges." I basically spent the week acting as a mobile hotspot for my family. There was a bit of pingponging between "Welcome to Jamaica" and "Welcome to Antinua" because apparently someone's cell tower was reconfigured but whatever.

For me and I'd guess a lot of others it's really not a great deal. T-mobile's $30/5gb is a way better price, and sprint coverage wouldn't add anything for most save those in a scant few markets. I appreciate their transparent and easy pricing though.

Don't know if this has been written about before, but what sort of PII will Google be able to hoover up from those that sign up and use Fi?

Will information about the data you use on the cellular networks also be shared with them?

At first blush, I guessing access to web, voice, email, social media chatter, plus geo-data?

Edited (for the downvoters):

These are genuine questions from someone (me) who lives outside the US. I'd just like to know. Not looking to incite anything or anyone here with this. Most of the rest of the world plays "follow the leader" regarding products and services and I like to watch what happens in the US (and elsewhere) to figure out what could be coming my way, in the future.

I think it might be a little premature for them to open the service to everyone. There are still a bunch of little bugs to work out, and now defending the program with "You knew what you were getting into when you requested an invitation to a beta phone service" isn't going to cut it.

But still, despite these bugs I've been a happy Project Fi customer since receiving my invitation last August, and I hope they continue to improve with the coming influx of new customers.

I'll probably be hopping to Project Fi soon, but it would cement the issue if there was full support for it outside of stock nexus ROM's. If there was cyanogenmod support, or some phone that included a MicroSD card, I'd be much happier. Until there's a non-root way to play with the .hosts file or some system-wide ad blocker, I'll be wanting root as well thanks.

(full support meaning the native network-hopping and call-over-wifi abilities; I'm aware that you can often pop a Fi SIM into a non-Fi phone and get basic functions on one network.)

I think it might be a little premature for them to open the service to everyone. There are still a bunch of little bugs to work out, and now defending the program with "You knew what you were getting into when you requested an invitation to a beta phone service" isn't going to cut it.

But still, despite these bugs I've been a happy Project Fi customer since receiving my invitation last August, and I hope they continue to improve with the coming influx of new customers.

Yeah, that's why I'm waiting while the contract on one of my phones is up later this year. That and I'd have to by another Nexus device (two lines, one is a Nexus 6). So, if everything works out, I'm looking to sign up near the end of this year or early next year. Hopefully it's be a much better improved service.

Going on my 3rd month of Project Fi. Glad I switched from Verizon's grandfathered unlimited plan which they just raised by $20/mo... I've been averaging ~$30 a month using ~1.8GB of cellular data. (I'm mostly on wifi 90% of the time)

Some cool benefits that aren't advertised that much:Still make calls and send texts without cellular service but you're on wifi.All calls, texts and voicemails are also sent to your computer via google hangouts.Voicemails are transcribed for you.Can send texts and make calls from any computer.

Don't know if this has been written about before, but what sort of PII will Google be able to hoover up from those that sign up and use Fi?

Will information about the data you use on the cellular networks also be shared with them?

At first blush, I guessing access to web, voice, email, social media chatter, plus geo-data?

Edited (for the downvoters):

These are genuine questions from someone (me) who lives outside the US. I'd just like to know. Not looking to incite anything or anyone here with this. Most of the rest of the world plays "follow the leader" regarding products and services and I like to watch what happens in the US (and elsewhere) to figure out what could be coming my way, in the future.

If you can answer, please do.

Nothing that carriers don't already have and gleefully offer up the government as well as monetize for themselves.

"... The only real downside is the extremely limited device compatibility..."

The only downside? How about the rather staggering price?

Sure, it's not like other cell providers in this great nation of ours offer any real bargains, but I currently pay $50.00/mo. with T-Mobile for unlimited calls/texts and 10GB of data. Getting the same service from Project Fi would cost me $120.00/mo.

"... The only real downside is the extremely limited device compatibility..."

The only downside? How about the rather staggering price?

Sure, it's not like other cell providers in this great nation of ours offer any real bargains, but I currently pay $50.00/mo. with T-Mobile for unlimited calls/texts and 10GB of data. Getting the same service from Project Fi would cost me $120.00/mo.

Do you actually use 10GB of data every month?

If he does, or even near that, T-M is probably the better deal.

For the rest of us, that might spike a few gigs once in a while but are often under 2, Project Fi is the better deal. It sucks having to buy the upper limit of data you'll use just to avoid punitive overage charges.

"... The only real downside is the extremely limited device compatibility..."

The only downside? How about the rather staggering price?

Sure, it's not like other cell providers in this great nation of ours offer any real bargains, but I currently pay $50.00/mo. with T-Mobile for unlimited calls/texts and 10GB of data. Getting the same service from Project Fi would cost me $120.00/mo.

Do you actually use 10GB of data every month?

Between non-stop streaming music/radio, TV, Netflix, Amazon Prime video and frequently using my Nexus 5X as an on-the-go Wifi-hotspot for our little family... yes, I have no problem making use of that limit.

"... The only real downside is the extremely limited device compatibility..."

The only downside? How about the rather staggering price?

Sure, it's not like other cell providers in this great nation of ours offer any real bargains, but I currently pay $50.00/mo. with T-Mobile for unlimited calls/texts and 10GB of data. Getting the same service from Project Fi would cost me $120.00/mo.

Do you actually use 10GB of data every month?

Between non-stop streaming music/radio, TV, Netflix, Amazon Prime video and frequently using my Nexus 5X as an on-the-go Wifi-hotspot for our little family... yes, I have no problem making use of that limit.

Well then this would be a bad plan for you. I am going to go out of a limb and say most Americans don't use 10GB of cellular data each month.

"... The only real downside is the extremely limited device compatibility..."

The only downside? How about the rather staggering price?

Sure, it's not like other cell providers in this great nation of ours offer any real bargains, but I currently pay $50.00/mo. with T-Mobile for unlimited calls/texts and 10GB of data. Getting the same service from Project Fi would cost me $120.00/mo.

Do you actually use 10GB of data every month?

Not myself no, but most of that is due to the fact that T-Mobile exempts streaming audio and most video. That said, with no Wifi available at work, I can easily use 5GB.

Also my aunt who is on my family plan can't afford cable and so uses her phone for everything. She goes through 7-8 GB easily.

Project Fi is great if you have alternative methods of connecting, otherwise it can get expensive. With T-Mobile's family plan, I'm now getting 10GB for 5 people at a cost of $28 per person per month.

Because the Project Fi phones default to wifi if available, I've been using it to replace a Vonage number I had. Monthly cost is like $10 less and its mobile if I need it to be. Being able to easily take it internationally is also great and has worked for me a couple of times already. I've been worried that Google might shut down the service, but hopefully opening it up will help it gain traction.

I'll probably be hopping to Project Fi soon, but it would cement the issue if there was full support for it outside of stock nexus ROM's. If there was cyanogenmod support, or some phone that included a MicroSD card, I'd be much happier. Until there's a non-root way to play with the .hosts file, I'll be wanting root as well thanks.

(full support meaning the native network-hopping and call-over-wifi abilities; I'm aware that you can often pop a Fi SIM into a non-Fi phone and get basic functions on one network.)

Yeah, until it can offer something of that nature, there's no real appeal to me over what Republic Wireless represents. The main issue I have with RW is that all of their cell/wifi handoff is done in a combination of their app (fine) and the firmware (necessary in their case). So no custom firmware. That and while they have free cell call roaming, and similar unused data usage rebates to Fi, the fact that it's roaming and counted appropriately (I totally support that, but it does mean I used data less than might be nice) means something able to use other towers natively would be better here.

So I'm feeling less and less left out with Fi. I thought it might be something that would fix some of the troubles with doing RW in a non-Sprint covered area, and with having a locked down firmware (I thought maybe Fi, being a google product, would use something more firmware agnostic, similar to how hangouts works), but it doesn't really seem like that's the case.

Yeah, I know, it's my own fault for living in Montana and hating Verizon (and their prices, and their monopolistic/duopolistic/etc bullshit, and cell carriers in general as a necessary evil)

FWIW, while RW has issues with locked down firmware by their very nature, at least they offer the third gen Moto G, so that's an SD card option. We went through a round of serious problems with my wife's 1st gen G, and while it took me complaining on twitter to get it looked at correctly (it was a firmware issue because it included wifi calling problems, and she kept getting bumped to reps who claimed it was a cell issue and therefor not covered in a non Sprint area), they did eventually make it right by replacing her 1st gen with a 3rd gen "b-stock" (open box, which was perfectly new).

"... The only real downside is the extremely limited device compatibility..."

The only downside? How about the rather staggering price?

Sure, it's not like other cell providers in this great nation of ours offer any real bargains, but I currently pay $50.00/mo. with T-Mobile for unlimited calls/texts and 10GB of data. Getting the same service from Project Fi would cost me $120.00/mo.

Do you actually use 10GB of data every month?

It's actually really easy to use 10GB. When I stayed in Japan and Singapore I routinely hit that simply cause my limit was higher than that.

Edit: I no longer go above 2gb but that's cause the more restricted data plans in the US resulted in me changing my data usage behaviour. I pay more attention to whether I'm on WiFi, and I no longer watch videos when commuting. Seriously, half an hour of videos can easily exceed half a GB. Watch videos on your daily commute and you'll definitely exceed 10GB.

Because the Project Fi phones default to wifi if available, I've been using it to replace a Vonage number I had. Monthly cost is like $10 less and its mobile if I need it to be. Being able to easily take it internationally is also great and has worked for me a couple of times already. I've been worried that Google might shut down the service, but hopefully opening it up will help it gain traction.

Assuming you're referring to wifi vs cellular calling, they don't default to wifi. It'll only use wifi if your cell signal is borderline unusable. It's a QOS issue according to Google, and a lot of people want them to lower the threshold.